Christmas in Havana
How do you find love when present loyalties are divided and the past screams for attention?
Luke Stevens’ new job as a CIA agent demands attention as he eulogizes his ex-wife and vows to move beyond grief. Ruth Chǔ’s a new life as an American law student busies her days, while her debt to North Korean intelligence haunts her nights. In the midst of an international crisis, can they experience Christmas joy together?
The cover art is called Esther’s Gamble by He Qi (www.heqiart.com).
Hear the words; walk the steps; experience the joy!
Julio Martinez, Senior Pastor of Shadai Phoenix Church wrote:As a person who has traveled to Havana, Cuba, on three occasions, I am anticipating reading Christmas in Havana. Having spent a number of days there, I know that the city is filled with history, mystery, and intrigue. Stephen Hiemstra has the ability to capture this mystery and intrigue and much more! Read the book and see what I mean!
Sharron Giambanco, Business owner and writer wrote:Christmas in Havana is a fascinating story that leads to reflection, an adventure of emotions that reflects life itself. Stephen Hiemstra guides us in a enjoyable way through this book to value life.
BookLife on https://booklife.com/project/christmas-in-havana-94430 wrote:New beginnings for Phil Stevens and Yong Dae Chû as they accept the past merged with new identities. Pastor Phil, is Luke, an agent with the CIA working to defeat the terrorists who killed his son. Beautiful North Korean, Yong Dae Chû, is Ruth, a law student and model. The final book of a three-book series, Christmas in Havana, by Stephen Hiemstra, concludes the story of loss, grief, and self-forgiveness against the backdrop of international terrorism and human trafficking. It is a fast-moving drama filled with action and romance, grounded in spiritual truth.
In the third installment of his Masquerade series, (after The Detour), Hiemstra delivers an action-packed mystery centered on CIA agent Luke Stevens—currently undercover as a pastor thanks to North Korean terrorists—who is still reeling from his ex-wife’s death but hopeful he’ll have a chance for love again. Meanwhile, North Korean Yong Dae Chû, known as Ruth in America, is a law student working as a courier for North Korea’s Reconnaissance General Bureau (RGB). The two are drawn to each other, but both are wary of new love—and when international tensions start to rise, it throws the couple into a dangerous mix of intrigue and betrayal.
Hiemstra favors a lightning pace and rapid-fire dialogue, fashioning scenes that turn on a dime with the craftiness that can accompany international politics. Ruth is desperate to help her family back home, a desire she’s granted in exchange for helping North Korea set up a meeting with CIA agent Tom Roberts, who, in the course of that meeting, learns that China’s preparing to invade Taiwan—and Havana, Cuba plans to help out with diversionary attacks on major shipping ports. The subterfuge grows more elaborate from there, with a rogue Chinese operative, Lei Han, approaching Ruth for intel and suddenly working his way up to RGB director, a move that ends with a contract on Luke’s life.
Amidst all the intrigue, Luke and Ruth grow closer, quietly supporting each other, even when that means opening up about their troubled pasts. Their united front renders an interesting counterpart to the political machinations playing out on a bigger stage, as Hiemstra hints at “impolitic actions by the current U.S. administration” that only serve to shore up China’s designs on Taiwan. Hiemstra relays the action with little emotional investment, but for those enticed by political scheming—and familiar with characters in his previous books—this will entertain.
Takeaway: International politics and romance intertwine in this lively mystery.
Comparable Titles: Graham Moore’s The Wealth of Shadows, Lauren Wilkinson’s American Spy.
Production grades
Cover: B-
Design and typography: B
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: C
Marketing copy: B